Fluorescent light fixture



- 1956 5. J. RZESZUTKO FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE Filed Dec. 21, 1954 Jimm /55 FLUORESCENT LIGHT FIXTURE Stanley .lkRzeszutko, (Ihicago, Ill., assignor to The Hess Company, a corporation of Illinois Application December 21, 1954,Serial.N0.' 476,622

7 Claims. (Cl. 24051.11)

This invention relates .to an improvementin fluorescent light fixtures, and in particular, it relates to a fluorescent fixture in which the sockets for .the ends of the fluorescent tube are concealed by frictionally-fitting caps.

One of the primaryrequisites of any fluorescentfixture for commercial or'household use isthat it be ornamental. However, the socket members into which the ends of a fluorescent tube are fastened to make electric contact are inherently not very handsome. There are numerous fluorescent fixtures in which one contact for the fluorescent tube is slidably mountedand springloadedto permit removal of the tube although both of the brackets forthe tube are concealed within fixed end caps. Another type of construction uses fixed sockets with one spring loaded, slidably mounted end cap.

In accordance with the present invention .all sliding electric contacts are eliminated,.as areguideways for any such element as an end cap slidably mounted on the fluorescent fixture body. Thefixture is provided with a pair of upstanding brackets which have narrow supporting stems and large body portions upon which conventional fluorescent tube contact members maybemounted. An inclined lug is positioned in spaced relationship to each bracket with a portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket. The bracket has arcuate margins flanking its stem in close spaced relationshipto the front of the base member to form friction jaws; and a cup-like end cap has a longitudinal slot whichfianks the lug and has its margins gripped in the friction jaws. The rear end of the slot extends beneath the inclined lug where it is frictionally gripped between the lug and the body member.

The only device of this general character of which applicant is aware is that shown in Manchan Patent No. 2,345,982. That device has a removable end cap, but it is employed in conjunction with a fluorescent socket base which is smaller than the end of the tube, so that a major part of the support for the cap must be obtained by frictional engagement of the cap with the body of the tube itself.

in the device or". the present invention the relationship between the body member and the bracketforthe fluorescent contact member, in combination with frictional engagement of the rear portion of the cup beneath the inclined lug on the body member, permits the end cap to be entirely clear of any portion of the fluorescent tube or the fluorescent socket.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational-view, partly in section, of a fluorescent fixture constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken as indicated along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken as indicated along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the end caps.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, applicants nited States Patent "ice 2,769,897 Patented Nov. 6 1956 improved fixtureincludes arearwardly open ho'llow'body member 5 having a laterally-extending attaching portion 6 and a removable back plate 7 which may be attached in any convenient manner. Suitable brackets (not shown) are provided inside the hollow body member.5 to support a ballast contact, starter, wire leads, and other electrical elements necessary for a complete fluorescent fixture.

As best seen in Fig. 2, secured adjacent each end of the front wallSa of the hollow body Sis a,perpendicular bracket 8 which has a narrow stem portion 9 and a fastening portion 10 which lies against the front wall 5a of the body member and is secured thereto by means of rivets 11.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the bracket 8 has an enlarged body portion 12 surmounting the stem 9, the'body portion having rounded corners 13, and arcuate lower margins '14 which converge toward the front wall 511 of the'body member 5 as they approach the narrow stem 9 of the bracket. Thus, the arcuate lower margins 14 in combination with the closely adjacent front wall 5a of the base member form narrow friction jaws. Mounted on the body portions 12 of the brackets S are sockets 15 for a fluorescent tube 16.

Spaced longitudinally from the bracket 8, and preferably forming an inclined integral continuation of the fastening portion .10 .of the bracket, is a longitudinallyextending, outwardly-inclined lug, or tongue 17.

A cup-like end cap, indicated generally at 1'8,is-provided with a longitudinal .slot '19, the side margins of which are generally parallel except at their outer end portions where they flare as indicatedat 2t). The slot 19 preferably has a straight base margin as indicated at 21 in Fig. 4.

As seen in Fig. 1, there is an end cap .18 associated with each of the brackets 8 and fluorescent tube contact members 15. Each cup 18 slides over a bracket 8 with 'the longitudinal margins of the slot 19 flanking .the inthe rounded corners'13 of the bracket.

When the cup is fully seated on the bracket 8, the rear margin 21 of the slot 19 is frictionally gripped between the inclined lug 17 and the front wall 5a of the basefn' so that the outer end of thecup isheld firmly against the base member.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and nounnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom as .modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. in a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to.receive sockets for a fluorescent tube; a lug secured to the bodymember between each of said brackets and the adjacent end of the body member, each said lug having a portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket in spaced relationship to the body member to form a recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cuplike friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the side margins of which flank one of said lugs and are frictionally engaged adjacent their forward ends with the bracket and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped in the recess between the lug and the body member.

'2. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube; a lug secured to the body member between each of said brackets and the adjacent end of the body member, each said lug having an inclined portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket in spaced relationship to the body member to form a wedging recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cuplike friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the side margins of which flank one of said lugs and are frictionally engaged adjacent their forward ends with the bracket and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped in the wedging recess between the lug and the body member.

3. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube, said bracket members having narrow stem portions and body portions larger than a socket which are provided with rounded lower marginal portions; a lug secured to the body member between each of said brackets and the adjacent end of the body member, each said lug being no wider than the stern on the adjacent bracket and having an inclined portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket in spaced relationship to the body member to form a recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cup-like friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the margins of which flank one of said lugs and the stem portion of the adjacent bracket and are frictionally engaged adjacent their forward ends with the rounded lower marginal portions of the bracket and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped in the recess between the lug and the body member.

4. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube, each said bracket member having a narrow stem portion and a body portion larger than a socket which has arcuate marginal portions flanking the stem and spaced slightly from the body member to define narrow, laterally open, wedge-shaped, fixed cap gripping jaws; a lug secured to the body member between each of said brackets and the adjacent end of the body member, each said lug having a portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket in spaced relationship to the body member to form a recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cuplike friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the side margins of which flank one of said lugs and are frictionally gripped adjacent their forward ends in the wedge-shaped jaws defined by the arcuate marginal portions of the bracket and the body member and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped between the lug and the body member.

5. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel planar, sheet metal bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube, each said bracket member having a narrow stem portion and a body portion larger than a socket which has arcuate marginal portions flanking the stern and spaced slightly from the body member to define narrow, laterally open, wedge-shaped, fixed, cap gripping jaws; a lug secured to the body member between each of said brackets and the adjacent end of the body member, each said lug having an inclined portion extending longitudinally away from the bracket in spaced relationship to the body member to form a wedging recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cup-like friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the side margins of which flank one of said lugs and are frictionally gripped adjacent their forward ends in the jaws defined by the arcuate marginal portions of the bracket and the body member and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped in the wedging recess between the lug and the body member.

6. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube, each said bracket member having a narrow stem portion and a body portion larger than a socket which has arcuate marginal portions flanking the stem and spaced slightly from the body member to define narrow, laterally open, wedge shaped, fixed cap gripping jaws; and a pair of cup-like friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the side margins of which are frictionally gripped adjacent their forward ends in the jaws defined by the arcuate marginal portions of the bracket and the body member.

7. In a fluorescent light fixture: a hollow, generally rectangular body member adapted to be secured to a base; a pair of aligned, parallel bracket members fixedly secured in outwardly extending perpendicular relationship to said body member adjacent its ends to receive sockets for a fluorescent tube, each of said bracket members having a body portion which has rounded lower margins merging into a narrow depending support portion which extends toward the adjacent end of the body member in face-abutting relationship thereto and terminates in a lug portion which is spaced from the body member to form a recess which opens toward the adjacent end of the body member; and a pair of cup-like friction caps to conceal the brackets and the sockets thereon, each of said caps having a longitudinal slot the margins of which flank one of said lugs and the stem portion of the adjacent bracket and are frictionally engaged adjacent their forward ends with the rounded lower marginal portions of the bracket and having its wall at the base margin of said slot frictionally gripped in the recess between the lug and the body member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,677 McCann Nov. 22, 1949 2,560,877 Kurtzon July 17, 1951 2,597,060 Boutelle et al. May 20, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 638,787 Great Britain June 14, 1950 

